Advent & Christmas 2020
THE CANDLES OF ADVENT: HOPE - LOVE - JOY -PEACE
THE FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT: HOPE
The round ring of the Advent Wreath symbolizes God's never-ending love for us. The greenery shows God's love for us is fresh and alive. The four candles represent the four weeks of anticipation and waiting. The white candle symbolizes Jesus' birth.
The living flame in the first advent candle reminds us of Jesus Christ, the light of the world. Jesus was in the beginning, Jesus was with God and Jesus is God. There is HOPE as we rejoice in the goodness of God to send his son for us. May the anticipation of Christmas stir us to light the candle of faith in our hearts and the hearts of children and all people, that together we may rejoice in HOPE!
THE SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT: PEACE
We light the second candle—the candle of peace knowing that Jesus alone can bring peace to our hearts and also to our world.
Jesus says, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." (John 14:27) May Christ's peace comfort us in the present as well as call us into the future because we know that the future is held in God's hands. We light this candle as a symbol of the peace that Jesus has given to us--a peace that passes all understanding.
THE THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT: JOY
We add the third candle the candle of JOY, knowing that the coming of the gospel message through Jesus is the only way we can know true joy and happiness. We also commemorate our joyful acceptance of the presence of God through Jesus Christ.
Knowing that God is with us, "Emmanuel," is surely a reason for rejoicing always. The word, Jesus, became flesh and made his dwelling among us. (John 1:14) God is surely with us though all of our times of difficulty as well as all of our times of celebration. We light this candle as symbol of the joy of knowing Christ.
THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT: LOVE
As we relight the Advent Candles of HOPE, PEACE, and JOY, we remember Jesus, God’s greatest gift to all humankind. Today we light the candle of LOVE, knowing that Jesus is the ultimate expression of the love of God. We know what love is because Jesus shows it to us.
1 John 4:10-12 tells us, "This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us." Without Christ's love, we would have nothing. We light this candle as a symbol of Christ's love that has come into the world.
Christmas Eve—Christ Candle
In the past weeks in preparation we lit the candles of hope, peace, joy and love. We relight these candles and we light the Christ candle to remind us that the light of the world was born this night.
In John’s Gospel we read, all things came into being through Christ, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness did not overcome it.
We rejoice that Christ is born, he is the light of the world. This is good news of great joy for all people because we celebrate that Christ the Lord our Savior has been born. God came to earth to save us and restore our relationship to God through Christ.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
Jesus is our hope. He is source of our joy. He gives us love and the gift of perfect peace. Praise God for the gift of His Son.
THE FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT: HOPE
The round ring of the Advent Wreath symbolizes God's never-ending love for us. The greenery shows God's love for us is fresh and alive. The four candles represent the four weeks of anticipation and waiting. The white candle symbolizes Jesus' birth.
The living flame in the first advent candle reminds us of Jesus Christ, the light of the world. Jesus was in the beginning, Jesus was with God and Jesus is God. There is HOPE as we rejoice in the goodness of God to send his son for us. May the anticipation of Christmas stir us to light the candle of faith in our hearts and the hearts of children and all people, that together we may rejoice in HOPE!
THE SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT: PEACE
We light the second candle—the candle of peace knowing that Jesus alone can bring peace to our hearts and also to our world.
Jesus says, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." (John 14:27) May Christ's peace comfort us in the present as well as call us into the future because we know that the future is held in God's hands. We light this candle as a symbol of the peace that Jesus has given to us--a peace that passes all understanding.
THE THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT: JOY
We add the third candle the candle of JOY, knowing that the coming of the gospel message through Jesus is the only way we can know true joy and happiness. We also commemorate our joyful acceptance of the presence of God through Jesus Christ.
Knowing that God is with us, "Emmanuel," is surely a reason for rejoicing always. The word, Jesus, became flesh and made his dwelling among us. (John 1:14) God is surely with us though all of our times of difficulty as well as all of our times of celebration. We light this candle as symbol of the joy of knowing Christ.
THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT: LOVE
As we relight the Advent Candles of HOPE, PEACE, and JOY, we remember Jesus, God’s greatest gift to all humankind. Today we light the candle of LOVE, knowing that Jesus is the ultimate expression of the love of God. We know what love is because Jesus shows it to us.
1 John 4:10-12 tells us, "This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us." Without Christ's love, we would have nothing. We light this candle as a symbol of Christ's love that has come into the world.
Christmas Eve—Christ Candle
In the past weeks in preparation we lit the candles of hope, peace, joy and love. We relight these candles and we light the Christ candle to remind us that the light of the world was born this night.
In John’s Gospel we read, all things came into being through Christ, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness did not overcome it.
We rejoice that Christ is born, he is the light of the world. This is good news of great joy for all people because we celebrate that Christ the Lord our Savior has been born. God came to earth to save us and restore our relationship to God through Christ.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
Jesus is our hope. He is source of our joy. He gives us love and the gift of perfect peace. Praise God for the gift of His Son.